My latest article lands over at StarWars.com as I look at the power of faith in the Star Wars story, specifically focusing on the ‘big three’ of the original trilogy, Luke, Leia and Han.
Chased off Hoth, the depleted forces of the Rebel Alliance fought a desperate rear-guard action to hold back the imposing might of the Imperial ground assault as they fled to their troop transports. In the skies, T-47 snowspeeders bobbed and weaved between the legs of hulking Imperial walkers as rebel soldiers battled snowtroopers on the icy plains.
As a commanding member of Echo Base, Leia Organa orchestrated the evacuation as Luke Skywalker led Rogue Squadron in an attack on the AT-ATs, the former narrowly escaping herself with the help of Han Solo and Chewbacca aboard the Millennium Falcon.
In this scene from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, with the Empire closing in, there is little to hold this rag tag band of freedom fighters together, save for their belief in something bigger than themselves. Some of them believed in the power of the Force, but many more simply trusted in the dream that the Rebellion would ultimately see the end of the tyranny of the Galactic Empire, the flame of hope ignited once again across the galaxy. This belief wasn’t held together by a mystical energy field or powered by coaxium or tibanna gas — only faith could fuel the hope that the Rebel Alliance needed to win the day.
